Nest Feathers and Twine - Formally Artist's Block Studio

The things that make a house a home and the stuff that holds is all together.

Years ago I started this blog with a mindset and goals that I have found have changed direction over time. I am excited to say that this blog has a new name.....Nest Feathers and Twine. I hope you come by and visit often. Feel free to get comfortable and kick off your shoes and join me on this journey of metamorphosis.

Friday, February 18, 2011

on her journey of 2 miles she thinks of shakey birthday wishes, stopping to smell the roses of love and where to find 20 bottles for a great many queens crowns

15 years ago on the 13th of this month my youngest was born.

as with each of my kids, he has brought so much love and happiness.

max is such a beautiful, kind, thoughful, loving goofball.

snapping a photo of the oh-so-ever-elusive max is nearly impossible.

i have lots of photos of his hand blocking my view through the camera lense, or blurry photos, so for now these will have to do.

max is now over 6 feet tall...a smidge taller than his daddy. he has his grandpa's big ears that fit his large c.z. stud earring perfectly.

blonde hair, blue eyed and freckle faced.

he has my off the wall goofy sense of humor and his daddy's work ethic.

a layer cake that did not become a cake-tastrophie....mainly because we finally have a proper set of cake pans.

i have discovered a new love....dark chocolate cake. i love anything dark chocolate and never knew a cake mix of this kind existed until the hubs brought it home from wal-mart. yellow use to be my favorite, but no more.

one of the requests of the birthday boy was a shake weight.

max wanted the manly version.

we bought the girly version, and we are glad we did.

everytime the commercial comes on we all become immature teenage boys and make goofey comments and giggle...but wow...this is really a workout.

we all have been using this muscle inducing gadget and i love it.

ValenTiNe's

i just love love......love is a gift. and although diamonds, chocolates, and a huge expensive bouquet of beautiful flowers are wonderful. being loved and having someone to share my love with is wonderful too.

i am so fortunate to have a man that loves me unconditionally.

my honey surprised me with a heart shaped, strawberry topped cheesecake...my favorite, huge chocolate covered strawberries...my other favorite, and a large bouquet of some very beautiful, but very sad looking red, yellow and white roses, and they were just perfect and beautiful.

i shared bites of cheesecake and chocolate covered strawberries and then began dividing the roses into several bottles and jars to be scattered throughout the house so that everyone can admire their beauty.

the time on the antique clock that no longer works is set to our wedding date.

over the last couple of days my idea for my piece and part of the adorning crowns swap has evolved.

just one problem. i need 16 of these.....

this is a watkins brand vanilla bottle. the recently switched over to plastic bottles. sigh.....

this bottle is a wee one, one about 2 1/2 - 3 inches tall.

with fingers crossed i am hoping that a local teacher and art supply recycling center called leftovers will have the quantity of these small bottles that i need to complete my artsy endeavor.

a corsetted bottle.....

this week steph and i started taking walks again. it has been quite awhile since we walked. the past summer was hotter than hot and this winter has been quite a nasty one.

she and i have taken advantage of the beautiful weather and started walking again.

the first day...a mile and a half.

from there on it has been 2 miles.

i had quite the ah-ha moment, as oprah would say last year when it came to walking after a trip to the mall one day.

after spending a day at the mall i was pooped when we got home, but not dying of exhaustion. the next day steph and i went for a walk and i felt myself stiffen up making the walk more difficult and tiring. the walk of 3 miles seemed to take forever and was miserable. then it hit me like a ton of bricks.....we probably walked 3 miles easily at the mall the day before...what was the difference??????

the difference was my mind set, my beliefs.

i view the mall as fun, exciting, pleasurable....i view my 3 mile walk as a workout, exercise, hard and miserable.....because that is what exercise is, right?

i have since learned to change my focus to being more positive. it is not a workout. it is good health, fewer meds and dr. visits. (i often thought of these things when i was viewing my walks as execise and it did not help previously)

i took this as time to spend talking with my walking partner and spending one on one time with them, be it my hubby or one or two, or all three of the kids.

i began to view this time as one to breathe the fresh air, hear the birds singing, soak up some good ol' vitamin d...with sunscreen schmered skin that is....to feel the breeze, to wave hi to a neighbor, to get out of the house.

it also helps to visualize a bit less lumps and bumps and more healthy curves, a smaller pants size, or just plain feeling like the sludge has been sweated out of my body.

i feel healthier, lighter, prettier, more energetic.

in a short time i will be addicted to the endorphins that are released when being active and i will be out there walking in the cold, the heat, the rain with no problem. this week has been a hard one though.

i traded using my walking pole for one of my arm crutches and have become quite good at using it this past week.

my vertigo is stirred up by the walking, but i have had a wonderful two weeks of being not quite vertigo free, but about as close as i have been in awhile. everytime this happens i hope that maybe, just maybe this time it will behave on a permanent basis. time will tell.

loading and unloading the dishwasher put me in a spinning and balance challenged tizzy last night, the up and down movement mixed with the back and forth motion of putting clean items in their proper place just does this girl in. but i hope that maybe someday it will go for good....

well, the hubs has just walked in the door so it is time to say bye for now.

2 comments:

Hi Christine, I was blog hopping and landed right here. You have a sweet blog and I have added you to my list of favorite blogs.

One question: How did you glitter the shells from a previous post...I was fascinated by the colors you used. I'm decorating our bedroom in a coastal beach theme and I think a cute bowl of those shells would be darling on top of my little cottage-y bedside table.

Deanna....I am so sorry it has taken me so long to get back with you. We had internet problems, and there were 5 of us internet deprived having to share the computer once we had service again!

Thank you so much for letting me know you were here and leaving such a kind note.

I love the colors of those shells! I hated to have to pack them up after the holiday and keep trying to think of a way to keep them out year round. I used Martha Stewarts glitters. I used a Michaels coupon because that stuff is a bit pricey...and it took 3 packs of the $25 glitter packs! The technique is ombre. I will be doing a tutorial on my blog in the near future! If you are ready to do this project now I think there are instructions on Martha's web site.

Quote for the moment

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I am so excited to see what the new year has in store for us! I know it will be full of wonderful surprises. My daughter Steph and I are busy working to open 4 new Etsy shops. Check back often for updates and links.

Cure for Artist's Block

Play.......Play every day.......creative ideas are all connected......once you put action behind your ideas they begin to multiply like bunnies.....one idea, a bit of inspiration, leads to the next, then the next.....before you know it you will find yourself always with pen and paper in reach to keep track of your ideas....

Give thanks, and give it often, for the inspiration, creativity,the talents and gifts you have been given .....whether it be to God, the universe, or whatever name you give it.....give thanks.

Come follow me and see where the journey takes us

T'Ao 22 as taken from the True Colors book

the woman of t'ao------------------holds oneness in her heart, ------and her world is at peace.------------does not try to please, -------------and therefore shines. ---------------does not seek attention,--------------and therefore excels. ------------does not justify herself, -------------and is therefore trusted. -----------does not imitate others, ---------and is therefore herself. -----------does not compete, ----------------and therefore-------------------------no one in the worldcan surpass her.

Bits and pieces of me

I am the mom of 3, wife of 1, keeper of the dust bunnies and I am a self taught multi media artist. Everyday images in my life inspire the art I create, which include art jewelry, collage art, decorative paint, altered books, atc's, 4x4's, art dolls, the list goes on and on.

I love getting my hands messy and working with polymer clay, paint, dying papers, fabric and fibers. Beads are a constant source of inspiration, and just holding a few can inspire the creation of wearable art. I suffer from a terminal case of 'junk gene syndrome' and Ilove going for walks, estate and garage sale-ing and adoptingthose bits and pieces that no one else has even seemed to notice or wants, or those things that have been thoughtlessly discarded. I have on several occasions yelled 'stop!" while my very supportive and very patient husband has been driving down the road to dumpster dive and retrieve a treasure that was thrown out with yesterday's news. Found objects, anything vintage and time worn, or just down right old are works of art in themselves, adding these bits and pieces of history just make a piece of art that much more meaningful.

I am a hands on visual girl, I am happiest and at my best when I am learning by doing. I am always looking to work with new materials, ideas, and to learn new techniques.

My hearing impairment has been a blessing and a wonderful gift. I am able to hear enough, but the limitations on the volume anbd ability to understand words made me a keen and enthusiastic oberserver.

I hope you check back often to see what is going on in myh studio and life. Feel free to leave a comment, I would love to know that you were here!

Who and Why I am Who I am

This is where I am suppose to tell you about me. I am almost 40 and I am just figuring that out for myself! I have spent most of my life trying to exist in the mold carved for me. I never was comfortable in that mold, it was never a good fit. I am finally brave enough to break out of that mold and expose who I really am to the world. I am finally feeling comfortable in my own skin. I use to sit quietly in the background, hoping to just blend in. I have recently found out how much fun it is to join in! I learn more about me everyday through the process of creating art. Art is a wonderful thing. There are no rules! No right No wrong. It is the way it is because you made it that way. Now that I have given myself permission to think outside the box I am never crawling back in! I will never color in the lines again, unless I want to! I owe a big part of this to my wonderful, loving and supportive husband who through the years has given me encouragement, pushed me when I want to give up, and has believed in me from the start! Without him I would not have achieved so much.